Lenders reported a net negative profit margin outlook for the eighth consecutive quarter in the face of further erosion of purchase mortgage demand. According to Fannie Mae’s Mortgage Lender Sentiment Survey, lenders are feeling worse about the market this quarter than they were last year and last quarter. The biggest reason they have the mortgage blues? Competition from other lenders was the most cited reason by survey participants for the squeeze on margins.

[Expert commentary] In 2018 alone, remote notarization bills have cropped up in the legislative sessions of 14 additional states and the District of Columbia. That said, there are many states that have yet to address remote notarization, and for lenders operating in these states, the path forward is less than clear.

Mortgage rates are finally seeing an uptick, according to Freddie Mac’s latest Primary Mortgage Market survey. Freddie Mac Chief Economist Sam Khater believes the recent slowdown in price appreciation in several markets is good news for the many prospective buyers who were priced out earlier this year.

U.S. Bank Executive Vice President and Head of Commercial Banking Elliot Jaffe said Kharkar has a strong track record of success in commercial, corporate and international banking and in serving middle-market clients.

As housing affordability continues to plague the industry, some companies are either downsizing or closing their doors, but not Waterstone Mortgage. It's expanding its reach, announcing the opening of a new branch in Libertyville, Illinois.

The dramatic reshaping of Zillow’s place in the real estate ecosystem is about to take a giant step forward, as the online real estate behemoth announced Monday that it is getting into the mortgage business. To power its expansion into mortgages, Zillow is buying Mortgage Lenders of America.

LRES Corp., a national residential and commercial mortgage services company, recently announced it promoted Jill Haro to the position of senior vice president of corporate administration.Haro has more than 15 years of experience in the real estate mortgage services industry and was recognized as a vital leader in the effort to grow the company’s business and market share.

Commentary

With the recent turnover in leadership at the Federal Housing Finance Agency, we may be standing at the precipice of great change in the government’s role in supporting the mortgage market through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.